A mysterious Hyundai SUV has been spied in China by
Autohome.cn, featuring thick body wrapping in most of the portions. We don’t
know its codename, but it seems to be a compact SUV that could be based on
Hyundai Tucson’s platform.
Hyundai thus far developed
two models that are sold only in China – the Hyundai Mistra and the Hyundai
Celesta. This strategy seems to be extending to the SUV segment which is one of
the biggest in the world.
The design appears to be boxy and rugged, which is a
first for a Hyundai since the Terracan. One would be forgiven to think if this
was the production version of the Hyundai Carlino concept from Auto Expo 2016,
but it appears be in the B+ size class. It features five dual spoke alloy
wheels, roof rails, ORVM-mounted blinkers, and black plastic cladding around
the wheel arches.
The mysterious SUV could slot between the old
Hyundai Tucson (still sold in China as the Hyundai ix35) and the new Tucson. We
are not sure whether the model will be introduced in other countries.